The Price Of Freedom
by Womble27
Summary: Kmeme prompt. When confronting Danarius, Fenris becomes his thrall. On the magister's orders, he attacks everyone in the Hanged Man including the woman he loves and I'm really bad at summaries. F!Hawke and Fenris pairing. T for violence.


**Original Kmeme prompt: This time when Danarius has lured Fenris out into the open and brought his companions with him, using his sister as bait, he activates a long-dormant piece of enchantment/blood magic that will put Fenris under his thrall.**

**Like with the Fog Warriors, he commands Fenris to kill everyone in the Hanged Man. Fenris complies.**

**After he has killed or terribly injured a lot of people in the bar, he somehow snaps out of it. Maybe one of the party members breaks the enchantment?**

**Horrified by what he's done (AGAIN) he abandons the attack on Danarius and takes off.**

**Fenris leaves Kirkwall.**

**Hawke follows him.**

**So does Danarius.**

**(Hawke/Fenris pairing, female Hawke preferred but male is okay too.)**

**Reeeeally liked this idea. Damn you, kmeme prompts, I'm supposed to be working on my other fic! :(**

**But the idea wouldn't leave me alone, and so here we are :L sorry for lack of Sebastian, but I've never managed to get his DLC, so I don't know his character well enough to write him in really :(**

**Internetz cookie for you if you get the Hunger Games reference! ^_^**

**P.S: If this gets enough reviews, I may update with a chapter about going back to the companions and resolving that bit about how hurt/pissed off they are. I may even do Hawke+Fenris sexy times ;D**

* * *

"Are you certain it's her?" Fenris's voice rang in the silence as Hawke made her way through the dilapidated mansion. She hovered outside the door to his bedroom, listening shamelessly as she heard Aveline's voice echo in reply.

"An elf matching your description, on the ship you named. And alone, as far as I could tell."

There was a resounding crash, indicating that Fenris had hit something. "I need to know if it's a trap!"

Aveline's voice was cold as she replied. "I did as you asked, Fenris. Now it's up to you."

There was the tell-tale scraping of a chair being pushed back, and before Hawke had a chance to even think about hiding, the door in front of her was flung open and Aveline stormed out. Blushing furiously, Marian fully expected to be chastised for eavesdropping on their conversation. Instead, Aveline simply rolled her eyes, knowing that it was next to useless to reprimand Hawke. If anything, telling her off seemed to make the mage determined to do it more.

"You talk to him Hawke." Aveline offered with a sigh. "I've had my fill for today."

Pushing past the smaller woman, Aveline descended the stairs quickly and was gone, leaving Hawke to state after her in puzzlement.

A thundering crash echoed from the bedroom.

Well.

Fenris, it seemed, was not happy.

"Venhedis! Fasta vass!"

"Swearing won't get you anywhere" said Hawke with a smile as she entered the room and sat down.

Fenris threw her a smoldering glare as he paced the room restlessly.

"What? I'm right" she smirked.

"Please, Hawke, this is not the time for smart comments!"

Her grin faltered a little. "Fenris? What's wrong?" When his furious pacing would not abate, she stood quickly and grabbed his arm, in the same way she had all that time ago. Her fingers tingled where their skin touched, and she let go in shock.

He whirled around, and the naked pain in his eyes was enough to make her remember, belatedly, that this was the first time they had touched since... since that night. For three years they had tiptoed around each other, both keeping to an unwritten law where both maintained a careful distance. Always polite, always friendly, smiling,_ smiling_, but never actually talking about them and what had happened.

His leaving had cut her to the core. Her heart was still a raw, bleeding mess because of it, though she hid it with cheery words and a bright smile. None of her companions had ever seen past the carefully constructed façade to the damage that lay beneath. None except for him, and he was the one who had caused it.

She knew his feelings towards her were still unresolved, perhaps due in part to her being a mage, and she tried to be understanding of his issues. But the pain she felt was not something she could just switch off, and the part of her mind that was not governed by reason still screamed in outrage, felt soiled, betrayed that he had used her like a common whore, something good for fucking, but not for anything else. She should've hated him for what he did.

But she didn't, couldn't. Despite it all, she still loved him.

_'And you'll probably end up tearing yourself up over him even more'_ she thought grimly as she took a step back to give the elf his space.

With a heavy sigh, she sank slowly back into her chair, raising an eyebrow in irritation as Fenris resumed pacing.

"Fenris, would you please stop pacing and sit down? You're giving me a headache" she said tiredly.

Grumbling, he flumped heavily into a chair, gazing moodily at the dwindling fire. If Hawke didn't know him any better, she'd have almost said that he was pouting.

"What's the matter, Fenris?" she inquired gently.

He didn't deign to respond, instead, he glared more, as if the fire had personally offended him. He gave a annoyed 'huff!', blowing his snow-white fringe out of his eyes and scowling deeply.

Tired of the histrionics, she snapped at him sarcastically "Careful the wind doesn't change, Fenris, or your face'll get stuck like that."

The glaring did not stop.

Hawke shrugged, her dark curls flying about her face. "Suit yourself then" she said as she reached forward to pour herself a glass of wine "But I wouldn't want my face stuck that way forever. Varric already calls you Broody, do you want the rest of us to start having to call you Messere Sulky Pants as well?"

The severe set of his eyebrows did not lesson, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward slightly, and the glare was slightly less frosty than before.

_'I'll take that as a small victory'_ Hawke thought as she took a long swig from her wineglass. "Look, Fenris, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Turning to face her, Hawke saw him debate with himself for a few moments before surrendering with a reluctant sigh.

"It's my sister."

Marian choked on the sip of wine she had just taken, spraying it back into the glass in her surprise. Banging herself hard on the chest, she stared at Fenris through watering eyes.

"Varania? She's real?" she managed to cough out.

"Indeed." he replied, his eyebrows raised in amusement. _Damn that blasted elf to the Void for finding her predicament funny._ Still coughing, she shot him a filthy look from under her lashes, and he uttered a short bark of laughter before turning solemn again.

"I didn't tell you, but I followed up on Hadriana's information" he said "Everything she said was true. I had to keep it quiet, but I eventually contacted Varania and sent her coin enough to come meet me. And now she's here."

Hawke's mind span with the revelation. She had been certain that the magister was lying, a desperate attempt to prolong her life. But now... "She was in Quirinus after all?" she asked.

"My sister had left Magister Ahriman's service, and I found her in Minrathous. That made things more difficult. But according to the men I paid, it's just as Hadriana said: _she's not a slave._ She's a tailor, in fact." Fenris rubbed his temples as he poured himself another glass of wine. "Getting a letter to her was difficult, and she didn't believe me at first, but... she's finally come."

"But this is wonderful!" Hawke cried in excitement. Fenris just looked at her, his green eyes filled with anxiety, and it clicked.

"You're worried Danarius knows" she stated obviously, clapping a hand to her forehead and feeling stupid.

A vein jumped in Fenris's jaw as he glared once more at the flickering fire. "The more it seems he doesn't know, the more certain I become he does!"

Hawke closed her eyes, for once not knowing quite what to say. She started in surprise as, without warning, Fenris lurched forward and gripped her hand in his. Eyes the twin of his snapped open in shock, and their gazes met as they stared at each other with matching pools of forest green and gold.

"Come with me, Hawke... Marian." Fenris asked, almost pleading, his voice drenched with feeling. "When I go to meet her... if this is a trap, I need someone who can fight to back me up."

She cleared her throat nervously. "When, where?" was all she managed to choke out.

"If we go to the Hanged Man during the day, she'll be there. For the next week, at least." His voice faltered slightly as he continued, and she patted his arm awkwardly. "It would mean a lot to me. That's all I ask."

"I'll tell everyone" she replied, her voice thick with emotion. "For something like this, we'll need them all."

She rose quickly, pulling her hand out of his grasp gently. He let her go reluctantly, their fingertips still touching in the air before he allowed his arm to fall with a sigh.

She offered him a small, sad smile over her shoulder as she headed for the door. Then with a swish of silk, she was gone.

* * *

That night, Fenris lay on his bed, staring at the stars through the hole in his mansion roof. His head was spinning, his thoughts tumultuous and wild. And confused. Oh_, Maker_, was he confused. He breathed deeply, trying desperately to organise his mind in the cold, analytical fashion that was the only way he knew.

The relief and gratitude he had felt when Hawke had agreed to come with him was indescribable. Knowing that she would be by his side made him feel a tiny bit better about what he might face the next day.

Fenris grimaced at his next thought, turning onto his belly with a sigh.

He loved her. He could admit that now. The red-hot jealousy that seared through his veins every time the Abomination touched her was testament to that fact. But the thought of needing someone, of relying on her made him feel... _vulnerable._ It was not a feeling he was used to, vulnerability was something he'd never been able to afford himself before. And it had terrified him. He'd been scared to death of his own feelings.

And because of that, he'd blown it with her. He had used her and left her, like the coward he was.

And now that he had finally faced up to his feelings, the damage was already done. Andraste forgive him, he had left her there sobbing, convincing himself that it was all for show until he saw what a mess she was the following day. Actually, sod Andraste, it was Hawke who he had needed to forgive him, and how could she, after what he'd done? She should have hated him!

But she didn't. Or at least, she _acted_ like she didn't. Though she had never indicated forgiveness either. After a few days of shying away from him, she had pulled herself together and acted as though nothing had ever happened.

Their reading lessons had continued, though she was careful never to get too close to him. That had wounded him deeply. He felt like a rabid wolf who'd bitten the hand of the one person who cared about him, and now she was too fearful of being hurt again to be near him.

But... she still laughed and joked with him. Still confided in him. They still shared warmth and friendship upon an eve.

She did not seek out another companion either. She did not move on. Fenris watched with growing guilt as for three years her bed and heart remained empty, though that wasn't through lack of trying on the part of the Abomination.

Could she, by some Maker-sent miracle...

Fenris sighed irritably. _No, that wasn't possible._ She couldn't still have feelings for a penniless ex-slave who had nothing to offer her and had already broken her heart once.

_Could_ she?

"Vishante Kaffas!" Fenris swore aloud. What did it matter if she still had feelings for him? He could not enter into a relationship with Danarius still hunting him.

But if he were dead... _Yes..._ If Danarius were dead, he could admit his feelings and see if they were returned...

His thoughts jumbled together as he drifted off into a troubled sleep, not knowing what he wanted to find more in the dusty tavern.

* * *

"So what was it like? That could've been my life, after all, if father wasn't exiled."

"You'd have hated it, Aveline, I promise you." Varric smiled.

The mood of the group that moved through the rain-soaked streets towards the Hanged Man was grim, covered with a false veneer of cheeriness.

"The dwarf's right, Man-Hands" Isabela threw in, tossing back her damp hair. "You'd have loathed it, everyone bowing and scraping, calling you 'Lady Du Lac'."

Hawke puffed out her chest and bowed, pretending to offer Aveline her arm.

"Aveline, my bulbous cherub, you must hear the droning of Lord Full-of-Shit." she drawled in her best Orleasian accent.

"Creators, was that really the Duke's name?" Merrill put in with a puzzled frown as she picked her way delicately through the puddles.

"No, Kitten..." Isabela replied with a tired smile.

"What?" Merrill protested "He was Orleasian, they all have funny names..."

Aveline shook her head, laughing at the ridiculousness of it. "You know, I think I'm all right with what I've got. And _who_ I've got."

"But Aveline, have you not heard about the fabled Orleasian fashion?" Anders called from the rear of the waterlogged procession in a rare moment of humour. "Apparantly feathers are all the rage there" he smirked, turning to show off his own feathered ensemble.

_'Idiots, the lot of them'_ Fenris thought irritably, his hair plastered to his forehead. Here they were, about to possibly face his former master, and all the Abomination could talk about was feathers...

"That was last year, Blondie" Varric called back grinning.

The annoyed expression on Anders's face was enough to make Fenris smile briefly, before he stomped down on it ruthlessly. He had to concentrate on the task at hand. _'Focus, focus...'_

As they rounded the last corner before the Hanged Man, Hawke made everyone stop to strategize, causing everyone to grumble about staying out in the rain.

"All right, _all right_!" Hawke smiled at her grumpy group before turning serious. "I hope this isn't a trap, but in case it is, we need to have a good back-up plan. Isabela and Varric" she said, gesturing at the dwarf and pirate "You two live there, so you'll draw less attention than anyone else. I want you to go in ahead of us and keep a low profile. Keep us in sight when we come in, and be there if we need you. I'm relying on you two to back us up if we need it."

"No problem, sweet thing" Isabela replied with a cheeky grin, before turning and sashaying her way into the tavern.

"Sure thing, kiddo. Be there if you need" Varric said with an awkward smile. "I promise I won't let the Rivaini drink herself stupid again" he called over his shoulder as he headed into the pub.

"Varric, you're a sweetheart!" Hawke trilled after him as he left. "Merrill, Anders, Aveline and Fenris, us five will enter together to look for Varania. I'm still hoping that everything's going to be fine and hunky-dory, but be on your guard... just in case."

"Just in case" Fenris echoed.

Hawke gave him a small smile of encouragement as she pushed open the door and they made their way inside.

The Hanged Man was quiet today, the patrons hushed and huddled near the walls_. 'Not a good sign...' _thought Hawke uneasily as she scanned the tavern. Her eyes alighted on a red-headed elf woman who was sat at one of the centre tables nursing a pint of luke-warm piss... _sorry,_ ale. She nudged Fenris discreetly, pointing in the direction of the woman. Fenris nodded, and started towards her.

The elf barely glanced up as they approached.

"It really is you" she stated, taking a sip of ale, her voice flat and dead.

"Varania?" Fenris asked, his voice soft with wonder "I... I remember you. We played in our master's courtyard while mother worked. You called me..."

"Leto" Varania supplied, standing and looking at her brother for the first time. "That's your name."

"What's wrong? Why are you so..."

Hawke felt the first prickle of magic brush against her skin in a stinging caress. Her mana bloomed in response to the hostile touch, setting her palms alight as she drew her staff.

"Fenris, we have to get out of here, it's a trap!" she shouted in a panic.

Fenris looked at her, his green eyes shining in distress. They turned to run, just as a malicious voice floated down the stairs, stopping them dead and freezing their blood.

"_Ah_, my little Fenris. Predictable as always."

Fenris's eyes were wide in a mixture of horror and fear as the grey-haired magister descended the creaking stairs.

"I'm sorry it came to this, Leto" Varania said sadly, her head bowed.

Fenris growled at her in rage. "You led him here!"

"Now now, Fenris" scolded Danarius. "Don't blame your sister. She did what any good Imperial citizen should."

The elf snarled, his fury setting his markings alight. "I never wanted these filthy markings, Danarius!" he snapped, raising his arms and gesturing at them. "But I won't let you kill me to get them!"

Danarius laughed softly under his breath. "How little you know, my pet. And this is your new mistress, then? The Champion of Kirkwall? Impressive."

"_Fenris_ doesn't belong to anyone!" Hawke replied angrily, shifting her grip on her staff. Fenris spared her a grateful glance before turning his attention back to his former master.

Danarius frowned slightly, and a note of disapproval crept into his voice. "We shall see, won't we? All right. Allow me to make you an offer. Give Fenris back to me, and not only will you be allowed to live, you will be rewarded. _Rich-ly..._" He purred the word seductively.

Hawke gazed at him in disbelief. "You can't be _serious..._"

"I am quite serious, I assure you" Danarius replied with an ingratiating smile. "I can also assure you that I have no qualms about killing any of you, and that one way or another, I will be leaving here with Fenris. I would prefer the cleaner way. So. Do we have a deal? Your lives for the elf?"

Hawke stared at him in contempt. Did he honestly expect that she would just hand Fenris over? The look of arrogant superiority in his eyes told her yes, that is exactly what he expected.

"I'm going to enjoy wiping that smug look off your face..." she hissed in reply.

Danarius's face hardened. "Pity" he sighed. "I had hoped that a fellow mage would be more reasonable."

"Don't think to compare us!" Hawke cried. "I am _nothing_ like you!"

"So it would seem." Danarius replied, his voice cold. "You leave me no choice." Reaching inside his robes, Danarius quickly pulled out a burnished silver locket. Hawke felt sick as a wave of pure malevolent energy emanated from the necklace.

"What is that?" Fenris spat, watching the locket warily, feeling the power radiating from it.

"Do you not recognise it, my pet?" Danarius asked with a cruel smile. Fenris shook his head. "No, I don't suppose you would. The last time you saw it was before the markings were placed on your skin..."

Three things happened simultaneously then.

Firstly, Hawke felt the level of mana in the room swell exponentially, crushing her with a dizzying spell of weakness. Her, Anders and Merrill all fell to the floor gasping, nearly choking on the thickness of the magic that now swirled about the room.

Secondly, Danarius withdrew a knife from the sleeve of his robe and slashed open the palm of the hand holding the locket. Blood welled up immediately, staining the locket crimson.

And thirdly, Fenris's body went completely rigid.

"Come to me Fenris!" Danarius cried victoriously, holding the locket aloft.

Fenris made his way stiffly to stand at Danarius's side. "_Good_" purred the magister, stroking one finger down the elf's jaw.

"What've you done to him?" Hawke gasped from her prone position on the floor.

"Blood magic" Merrill sobbed past the crushing weight on her chest. "I can smell it... in the air. Whatever Fenris does... not his fault" she managed to spit out one more word before a wave of shuddering coughs overtook her _"Thrall..."_

Danarius gave an approving smile as he appraised Merrill. "Very good" he purred, laughing as the elf recoiled. He tsked slightly, noting the look of disgust on Hawke's face. "Oh come now Champion, he is my pet. Did you really think I would not have him leashed?" He continued stroking the elf's face, caressing Fenris's cheek just below the eyes that were wide and terrified, furious at his body's betrayal. "Blood magic is so much more subtle than anyone ever gives it credit for. It's fingers can snake their way into your mind, bend you to the caster's will... all's it requires is a little blood, a little life essence, and some lyrium."

"You sick bastard" Hawke snarled at him, still trying to rid herself of the dizzying effects of the blood magic.

The magister's mouth narrowed in displeasure. "Enough!" he roared. Snapping his fingers at Fenris, he flung his arm wide to encompass the entire tavern. "Kill them all!" he yelled as he began to retreat up the stairs. Then he stopped, a cruel smile lighting up his features. "No, on second thoughts... _kill her_" he hissed, pointing straight at Hawke. "Kill anyone who gets in your way, but it is her I want dead most of all..."

Nodding grimly, Fenris drew his greatsword, and took a faltering step towards Hawke who was still lying nauseated on the ground.

"Fenris?" she asked, scrambling away from him across the floor. "_Fenris!_"

A crossbow bolt flew across the room and nicked Fenris on the arm, before burying itself with a 'thunk!' in the wall behind him. The elf ignored it, and continued his advance on Hawke, though his eyes were wild and panicked.

With a terrible roar, he swung his sword above his head before driving it down as if to cleave Hawke in two. Desperately, she threw an arm up to protect herself.

There was a sound of ringing metal as Aveline met his strike in mid-air. Catching him with the edge of his shield, she threw him back into a cluster of tables with a crash.

Thinking that Fenris was out of the game for now, Aveline quickly knelt by Hawke's side, gazing at her in concern. "Hawke, we have to get you out of here! He won't stop until he's killed you!"

"I won't leave him!" Hawke yelled desperately, scrambling to her feet.

Aveline stood with her, gripping the other woman's wrists. "Hawke, listen to me! I..."

"Aveline, look out!" Hawke shrieked, dropping to the ground just as the larger woman became airborne. The sturdy armour the Guard-Captain was wearing had protected her from the worst of the blow that the quickly recovered Fenris had aimed at her left side, but the sheer power behind the swing had sent her flying. Her head connected brutally with the wall of the tavern as she came to rest, and she lay senseless in a growing pool of blood.

_"Aveline!"_ Hawke cried, reaching for her friend. A greatsword buried itself in the floor an inch away from her nose, and with a little scream she fell back, hands searching frantically behind her for her staff. Her fingers closed over cool wood just as she heard the whir of a crossbow. She staggered to her feet to find Isabela holding Fenris off, trying to talk him down. It wasn't working, and Varric was firing Bianca in warning every time Fenris got too close to the pirate queen.

"Fenris!" Hawke heard Isabela cry "We don't want to hurt you! But we can't let you hurt Hawke!" The Rivaini narrowly avoided being impaled, and dealt Fenris a stinging slash to his forarm "You know that, right?" she asked, clearly torn between protecting Hawke and not killing Fenris.

"I know!" Fenris spat, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Hawke's heart leapt at his words. Fenris was still there! _'He's fighting the enchantment!'_ she thought just as Fenris struck Isabela savagely on the temple with the pommel of his sword. The pirate queen crumpled, her mouth a small, shocked _'o'_ of surprise as Varric hissed from across the room. Faster than thought, Fenris ducked the bolt the dwarf sent forth and plucked a dagger from the belt of the comatose Rivaini. With unnerving accuracy he threw the blade at Varric, catching the dwarf in the wrist and causing him to drop his weapon. Varric stared for a long moment at the blood that coursed from his arm. Then he howled, a long heartfelt cry of misery that echoed around the tavern. Hawke howled too, seeing exactly what Fenris had done. With a clinical precision, Fenris had severed the tendon in the rogue's wrist that allowed him to hold things. If not healed soon, Varric would never be able to fire a crossbow again. The elf had cost him his Bianca.

Time slowed for Hawke. The fury she felt at Varric's injury was testing her control over her magic to the limit, and she could hear the demons whispering to her through the Veil. She didn't want to kill Fenris, but... _'Make him pay...'_ hissed the siblant voices in her mind _'Make him pay, make him hurt... we can help you... make him pay...'_

_'No!'_ she cried back _'I won't! I can't kill him. I lov-!'_

She jumped back as a sudden bolt of lightning flew from across the room, narrowly missing Fenris and making the hair on everyone's arms stand on end. To her intense relief, this focused her mind, and she sent the demons scurrying back to the Fade with a guilty thought.

Hawke turned to see Anders and Merrill stood together, gripping one another's hand. United for the first time since she had known them.

"Take one more step towards her Fenris, and I _will _kill you!" Anders threatened, his voice taking on the strange double timbre of Justice while his skin cracked and glowed.

"Fenris, _please_!" Merrill begged "You can break free of this! You're strong enough, I..."

Merrill never finished her sentence, because for the first time Fenris ignored Hawke as a target and charged straight for them. With his markings aglow and his sword a shining blur, he was a frightening whirl of death and steel.

With an animalistic scream, he swiped Merrill's staff from her surprised hands and in the same movement phased his hand deep into Ander's chest.

The action shocked everyone, and for a moment Fenris fought against the enchantment with renewed strength, giving him just enough control to twitch his hand away from the man's heart and he punctured the healer's lung instead. Ander's mouth instantly fountained crimson, staining the front of his robes. Fenris dropped him and he slumped to the floor like a blood-stained rag-doll.

With a bellow, he turned on Merrill who backed away screaming, rendered nearly helpless without her staff. She threw her blood magic out around her like a mist, but Fenris breezed through it as if there was nothing there and continued his advance on the terrified elf. Hawke threw spell after spell of paralysis at his unprotected back, cursing as they had no effect.

Fenris bellowed silently inside his head. With a massive exertion of willpower, he managed to prevent himself from killing the other elf. Instead, he slashed open Merrill's calf, effectively crippling her and making her shriek in pain. As she slumped to the floor, Fenris hit her over the back of the head with the flat of his blade, knocking her out cold.

By now the remaining patrons of the Hanged Man had fled. With nothing left to distract him, Fenris turned his murderous attention on Hawke. She held her ground as he advanced on her slowly, sword raised above his head in a killing strike.

"Fenris" she said in trembling voice "You can break free of this, I know it! Fight it Fenris!"

"I _can't!_" he whispered brokenly, still moving towards her. "Run Marian! Just run, before I hurt you!"

"I trust you" she replied softly, taking a step towards him. "You won't hurt me.."

With an agonising cry, Fenris plunged his sword towards her. Reacting instinctively, Hawke ducked the blow so that it merely glanced the side of her head. As the momentum of Fenris's blow carried him forward, she sidestepped him neatly, twirling her staff so that sword end rested against the unprotected skin of his throat.

"Do it!" Fenris begged. "Kill me, please, before I hurt you!"

He turned to face her, and as she looked into the depths of his eyes, she realised that she couldn't do it. Horrified at what she had almost done, she staggered back before dropping to her knees and throwing her staff away.

"No, Hawke, what are you _doing!_" Varric cried from across the room where he lay weak with blood loss.

"I can't do it Varric" she called back "I can't."

She stared up at the elf as he towered above her. "I can't kill you Fenris. How stupid is that?" she laughed bitterly "Even if it means my death, I can't hurt you."

She felt his sword rest on her neck, the steel cold and biting_. 'So this is it...'_ she thought. "Just make it quick, Fenris..." She stared into his eyes, wanting them to be the last thing she ever saw.

She saw that he was trembling as he raised his sword. A million emotions passed across his face as shudders racked his body. With a monumental effort, he managed to keep the sword from falling as he stared at her, mouthing the words _"I'm sorry..."_

_"Fenris..."_ she whispered, her heart full of longing. _Oh well_. If she was going to die, he might as well know the truth. "I love you.." she said, so softly that it was hard to hear.

A look of shock crossed the elf's features. Then something seemed to snap inside him and with a scream of effort so loud the entire room shook, he dropped the sword. He fell to his knees, panting heavily, head bowed to the floor.

"Fenris?" Hawke asked tentatively, gently stroking his face. For a moment the elf leant into the caress, eyes closed, taking simple pleasure in the warmth of her hand. Then his eyes flew open, and he gazed at her with something akin to panic. He scrambled for the door, staring about him in horror.

"Fenris!" Hawke cried in shock, reaching out for him.

"No!" Fenris yelled "I almost killed you! Stay away from me!"

"Elf, be reasonable, this wasn't your fault..." called Varric.

"STAY AWAY!" Fenris bellowed as he bolted from the tavern.

"Fenris!" Hawke cried, running after him into the rain, pausing only to grab her staff from the blood covered floor.

"HAWKE!" Varric shouted after her. He attempted to go after them, but he only managed to stagger a few steps before passing out from blood loss.

Which is why he didn't see the grey haired man descend the stairs a few minutes later and head into the storm.

* * *

Strangely, it had been the Abomination's words that had come to him as he stood over her, about to end her life.

_'I always knew you'd end up hurting her...'_

_'No!'_ Fenris had screamed inside his head. He'd never wanted to hurt Hawke, not ever! He fought against the enchantment with everything he had, every pain, every memory, every happiness he'd ever known. But it still was not enough.

And then the most surprising words of all: _'I love you...'_ Her confession had given his spirit wings, and he suddenly knew that if it was her he was fighting for, he could win any battle. With scream that took every ounce of strength from his body, he found the enchantment and broke through it.

He lay on the ground, gasping like a new born babe. She had comforted him, and for a moment he had accepted it.

But then he'd opened his eyes, and the horror of what he'd done had asserted itself in the form of a mask of blood.

He'd scrambled away from her, gazing at the evidence of his brutality that was written on her face. Not only had he hurt his friends and companions, he'd hurt Hawke!

He'd stared about the room at the carnage he had wrought, some fresh new horror waiting to sicken him everywhere he looked

"Elf, be reasonable..." the dwarf had asked him.

"STAY AWAY!" he had bellowed.

And then he'd run.

And once started, he'd just kept running. Out of Lowtown, out of Kirkwall, up, up, towards the Wounded Coast and the storm blown cliff where he now lay gasping for breath, weaponless with clothing and hair plastered to his skin.

"Fenris!" He heard the faint cry from behind him. "Fenris!"

"Hawke!" Fenris cried back, recognising her voice. Crawling towards the edge of the cliff, he saw Hawke struggling up the path against the rain, using her staff for leverage as the storm howled around her.

"Hawke!" Fenris yelled again as she rounded the top of the bluff and struggled on towards him. "What are you doing here? _Go back!_"

"I can't!" she yelled, the storm ripping her words away and tossing them to the winds. "Not unless you come too!"

"No!" Fenris bellowed over the wind "Not after what I did! I'm too dangerous to be around you Hawke!"

"That wasn't your fault!" she insisted, kneeling down beside him and placing a hand on his neck.

"But I _hurt_ you..." Fenris said, touching her forehead just below the cut he had made, his expression agonised.

"I'll heal" said Hawke dismissively "It wasn't your fault. You have to come back with me, Fenris. I meant what I said. _I love you._"

Fenris's expression turned pained. "How can you?" he asked miserably "I've hurt you so much already. I don't deserve you."

Hawke stared at him with a mixture of affection and exasperation. "Maker, you're an idiot..." she said before leaning down and kissing him passionately. He responded instantly, almost as if he couldn't help himself. He pulled her tighter against him, growling as three years of desire were released in a rush, lips pressed together so desperately they bruised, drawing in each other's taste. She drew back slightly, and smiled a little at the raggedness of his breath.

"Now do you believe that I love you?" she whispered against his mouth.

"Indeed" Fenris gasped as he pulled her down for more kissing.

A slow, sarcastic hand clap stopped them in their tracks.

"How touching" drawled Danarius as he rounded the top of the bluff. His expression was nothing short of murderous.

The two scrambled to their feet and Hawke stepped slightly in front of Fenris with her staff drawn, her teeth bared in a predatory glare.

_"You can't have him!"_ she snarled at the magister.

A sardonic smile crossed Danarius's features. "Oh _what_ fun!" he said cruelly. "It has been a long time since I have had the pleasure of destroying another mage personally. It has been many years since someone annoyed me enough for that. A real battle!" he said fiercely.

Hawke gulped nervously "To the death?"

"Naturally" Danarius hissed. With a movement so fast it was hard to follow, the magister span his staff, calling down a firestorm of such intensity that the rain hissed and steamed.

"_Run Fenris!_ Get out of here!" Hawke cried desperately over her shoulder as she threw up a shield of arcane energy to counter the firestorm. When the fires had dissipated, she blasted the shield out from around her, knocking Danarius off his feet where she proceeded to batter him with spells of ice and lightning.

Just as it seemed she might be wearing him down, Hawke felt the sick energy of blood magic well up the second before the spell hit her.

It was as if her blood had turned to liquid fire. It coursed through her veins and she collapsed to the floor, agonised screams forcing their way out of her throat as her fingers raked through the rocky dirt in a useless attempt to ward off the pain.

She cringed back, still screaming as the magister leant towards her, his face so close she could see the spittle that flecked his lips. He smelt of blood and roses, a combination that sickened with its wrongness.

"Game over..." he whispered to her as he drew a blade from his sleeve and placed it gently on her throat.

Then suddenly, Danarius's face changed from a look of triumph to a look of utter shock. A small trickle of blood appeared at the corner of the magister's mouth.

"Your arrogance was always your undoing Danarius" said Fenris from behind him. "You payed little attention to me while I was your slave, and even now when I am your enemy you still pay me no mind because you see me as inferior. A fatal mistake. May you rot in the darkest pit of the Void, knowing that you were brought to bear by a former slave!"

Danarius's stare turned vacant as with a wet tearing sound, Fenrus removed the hand that had been embedded in the magister's chest, tearing out the mage's heart. With a fleshy thud, Fenris dropped the organ to the floor where it beat once, twice more, and then lay still.

Breathing heavily, he turned to face Hawke. She sat up, the effects of the blood magic dissipating with Danarius's death.

"Hawke?" Fenris ventured cautiously. "_Mea amare_, are you all right?"

Hawke groaned a little, her head spinning. "What? What did you call me?"

_"Mea amare"_ Fenris replied "It means 'my love' in Arcanum."

"My love?" Hawke asked numbly "You... you love me?"

"Marian" Fenris said seriously "Of course I do. I-"

Fenris never finished his sentence because at that moment Hawke pulled him down for a kiss that was hot enough to set the world on fire.

They wouldn't have noticed.


End file.
